Locking plate for axle end caps

ABSTRACT

Bolts used to secure the end of a bearing structure to the end of a railroad car axle are secured against loosening by the conjoint action of bent tabs on a template and serrated openings in a juxtaposed lock plate fitted over the heads of the bolts.

Jan. 30, 1973 United States Patent [191 Eddy et al.

tmmJo c n n ye m dm dm EU.lr. HBTBD 020 0 70267 99999 11111 82032 90086 06 32 .3 J 36773 2 579 S n 43 G 4 3 23 [73] Assignee: Abex Corporation, New York, NY. primary 1 M poflenza Jan. 21, 1971 [21] Appl. N0.: 108,335

Assistant ExaminerHoward Beltran Attorneyl(inzer & Dorn Filed:

ABSTRACT [52] U.S. Cl. .....295/36 R, 105/218 R, 151/54,

Bolts used to secure the end of a bearing structure to the end of a railroad car axle are secured against loosening by the conjoint action of bent tabs on a temmR W6 B 5 @9 12 b B 7 7 2 b5 5 l 7 F4 ,5 6/ 1 /5 51 m b 0 m r.

a e 8 cl 0 d .1 MR IF .1] 8 55 [.1

plate and serrated openings in a juxtaposed lock plate fitted over the heads of the bolts.

2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,915,088 Eastburg LOCKING PLATE FOR AXLE END CAPS This invention relates to a bearing structure for the journal of a railroad car axle and in particular to a device for preventing loosening of the bolts which secure the bearing end cap to the axle.

There are several different forms of bearings for the journal of a railroad car axle which are inclusive of an end cap, bolted to the free end of the journal. The end cap serves the purposes of enclosing the end of the bearing and securing the bearing assembly axially to the journal.

It is common practice to afford a device of some kind for securing the fastening bolts against reverse rotation and consequent loosening, since a loose end cap can lead to bearing failure. However, our experience reveals that the devices as heretofore used are not always reliable, and the primary object of the present invention is to prevent loosening of bearing end cap securing bolts in a more reliable manner and specifically to accomplish this by a unique combination of a template and a lock plate associated therewith.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawing which, by way of illustration, shows preferred embodiments of the present invention and the principles thereof and what we now consider to be the best mode in which we have contemplated applying these principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the wheel and bearing of a railroad car in the process of having the present invention applied thereto;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the template which features in the present locking device;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the locking plate which features in the device of the present invention; and

FIG. 3A is a plan view showing the lock plate juxtaposed on the template, with one tab and one bolt head in locked position.

FIG. 1 shows the wheel W of a railroad car on a rail R. The car has a truck which includes a side frame 80. An adapter is located within the side frame and embraces the top of a housing 12 12 of a roller bearing which rotatably supports the journal end of the car axle, not shown.

The bearing structure includes an axle end cap 14 which secures the bearing assembly against endwise displacement. Accordingly, fastening bolts 15 are adapted to be extended through openings 16 in the end cap and are threadedly engaged in tapped openings at the journal end of the car axle, not shown.

FIG. 2 shows the template or tab plate constituting part of the securing device of the present invention such being identified by the reference character 20. The template 20 has three openings 21 therein adapted to be registered with the openings 16 in the axle end cap, as shown in FIG. 1, and after such juxtaposition has been accomplished the bolts 15 are then applied and tightened.

The lock plate which features in the present invention is identified by reference character 25 in FIG. 3, and in this connection it is to be noted that the bolt heads 15H have flat sides separated by angle points, six in number in the present instance inasmuch as the bolts are of conventional hex head form.

The lock plate 25 has three openings 26 formed therein and these openings 26 are serrated to provide angles 27 symmetrical with and corresponding to the angulation of the points on the head 15H of the bolt. Thus, as shown in FIG. 3, each opening 26 is adapted to neatly accommodate the points of the head of the bolt, and in order to facilitate ready implacement it is preferred that the points in the serrated openings 26 be twelve in number or some other multiple of six as compared to the six points of the hex head bolt.

The lock plate 25 is to be fitted over the heads of the bolts, as can be appreciated from FIG. 3A, and in order that this may be readily and easily accomplished the template is provided with index marks IM. When the bolts are tightened, this is done to the extent that an angle point of the head of a bolt 15H FIG. 2, is aligned accurately with a corresponding index mark IM. The serrated openings 26 in the lock plate are similarly oriented, that is, are so formed that a point thereof, in each of the three openings 26 will be juxtaposed on an index mark IM when the lock plate is juxtaposed on the template. Hence by tightening the bolts so that an angle point of each is aligned with an index mark IM, it is assured that the lock plate will neatly fit the heads of the three bolts with the bolt heads fitted in the openings 26, and thus in this fashion the three bolts are firmly and positively locked against rotation. After such juxtaposition has been accomplished with the heads of the bolts fitted in the opening 26, tabs or lugs 30 on the template are bent upwardly and then inwardly to overlie the edges of the lock plate thereby securing the latter against endwise displacement.

From the foregoing it will be seen that by combining a template and a lock plate, in the form shown, we are able to positively secure against back-off the fastening bolts of an axle cap, and obviously it is possible to vary and modify the form without departing from the principles of the invention.

We claim:

1. In an axle cap fastened to the journal of a railroad car axle by bolts having heads with flat sides, the sides being separated by an angle point, whereby the cap rotates with the axle, the axle cap having openings for the bolts, means to secure the bolts against loosening and comprising: a template having a plurality of openings therein registrable with the openings in the cap and receiving the shanks of the bolts, a lock plate having a plurality of openings therein fitted over the heads of the bolts in juxtaposed relation to the template, the openings in the lock plate being serrated peripherally in a pattern conforming to adjacent angle points of the bolt heads so that a plurality of adjacent serrations in the lock plate openings embrace immediately adjacent angles of the bolt heads, and tabs on the template bent over edges of the lock plate to secure the lock plate against displacement.

2. A template as set forth in claim 1 having an index mark adjacent each opening therein, to which mark a point on a bolt head is turned before juxtaposing the lock plate. 

1. In an axle cap fastened to the journal of a railroad car axle by bolts having heads with flat sides, the sides being separated by an angle point, whereby the cap rotates with the axle, the axle cap having openings for the bolts, means to secure the bolts against loosening and comprising: a template having a plurality of openings therein registrable with the openings in the cap and receiving the shanks of the bolts, a lock plate having a plurality of openings therein fitted over the heads of the bolts in juxtaposed relation to the template, the openings in the lock plate being serrated peripherally in a pattern conforming to adjacent angle points of the bolt heads so that a plurality of adjacent serrations in the lock plate openings embrace immediately adjacent angles of the bolt heads, and tabs on the template bent over edges of the lock plate to secure the lock plate against displacement.
 1. In an axle cap fastened to the journal of a railroad car axle by bolts having heads with flat sides, the sides being separated by an angle point, whereby the cap rotates with the axle, the axle cap having openings for the bolts, means to secure the bolts against loosening and comprising: a template having a plurality of openings therein registrable with the openings in the cap and receiving the shanks of the bolts, a lock plate having a plurality of openings therein fitted over the heads of the bolts in juxtaposed relation to the template, the openings in the lock plate being serrated peripherally in a pattern conforming to adjacent angle points of the bolt heads so that a plurality of adjacent serrations in the lock plate openings embrace immediately adjacent angles of the bolt heads, and tabs on the template bent over edges of the lock plate to secure the lock plate against displacement. 